


Fresh Coat

by scrapmetal



Series: space cowboy road trip [1]
Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Between chapter 14 and 15, Gen, Mandalorian Culture (Star Wars), Season 2 spoillers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:40:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28061061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scrapmetal/pseuds/scrapmetal
Summary: “The paints are important,” Din found himself saying in response to Fett’s quiet words. He knew they were, even if his mind wouldn’t stop worrying around the fact that it was all a waste of time. “It'll be good for you to fix that all up.”Fett's helmeted head tilted slightly in a clear sign of amusement. “It sure will, beroya.”
Relationships: Din Djarin & Boba Fett
Series: space cowboy road trip [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2091150
Comments: 21
Kudos: 640





	Fresh Coat

**Author's Note:**

> They can't just have Boba showing up in that fresh new coat of paint and expect me to NOT write something about it.  
> Mando'a translations are in the end notes!

They picked up paints on Nevarro. 

Din would never admit how annoyed it made him, that they were wasting  _ time _ when they could be on their way to finding and saving Grogu… But Din was pretty sure Fett could sense his annoyance anyways. He had put a surprisingly gentle hand on Din’s shoulder and murmured a few reassurances, so it was likely. 

“The paints are important,” Din found himself saying in response to Fett’s quiet words. He knew they were, even if his mind wouldn’t stop worrying around the fact that it was all a waste of time. “It'll be good for you to fix that all up.”

Fett's helmeted head tilted slightly in a clear sign of amusement. “It sure will, beroya.”

After hearing the single word of Mando’a Fett spoke, Din stood frozen for a couple quiet seconds as he marveled once again at the fact that he was with another Mandalorian. He hadn't realized how desperate he was for a companion after the destruction of his covert until Bo-Katan figuratively spat on the solidarity he was looking for, but then Fett came along and…

He jogged back to Fett's side, taking the colors he had chosen into account. It seemed to be the same set of colors the faded armor currently donned, but Din let his mind drift to the meanings of each color. 

Green was for duty, and Din thought that was almost laughably on the nose, as Fett had proven himself to be almost ridiculously dutiful in fulfilling his side of their deal, and perhaps that was why it was the main color he used. The two small cans of red were for honoring a parent, something that, with what little Din knew about Fett, seemed like a mournful thing. Then there was an orangish yellow, for shereshoy, lust for life. But the last color, one that must've gotten chipped off of Fett’s armor entirely, was a bright sky blue, for reliability, and Din sure did hope he could rely on Fett. 

Later, back on the Slave, on the way to pick up Mayfeld, Din stumbled upon Fett in the hold scrubbing the old paint off his armor. Even though Din first met the man without his armor, it felt strange seeing him without it again, exposed once more.

“I… Wanted to fix it up,” Din started awkwardly, causing Fett to look up from his work, a curious look in his eye. “Didn't end up finding the time, these last few weeks have been… Awful, to be honest. I'm sorry.”

Fett shrugged. “And I'm sorry you had an awful couple of weeks. I’m not quite sure what happened for a lot of it, but considering it ended with your foundling being taken by Imps?” He shook his head. “Sorry is the last thing you should be.”

Fett went back to his scrubbing and the space fell into a surprisingly tolerable silence. Fett's chest plate was split up into four separate plates, unlike Din’s overlapping two. It allowed for the kar'ta beskar, the heart of the armor, to stand alone. Fett slowed once he got to the small piece, his scrubbing becoming more contemplative. 

“If I'm remembering correctly, this is the oldest piece of my beskar'gam...”

Din nodded silently, urging the story forwards slightly, and Fett laughed quietly, a surprisingly warm sound. 

“I don't know too many details about the history of my armor, other than maybe the history of its scars,” he patted his buy'ce, bringing attention to the massive dent on top of it. “I haven't… Had a chance to visit a Mandalorian armorer in, well, ever, really.” 

Din felt his grief widen, reminded of the still recent wound of the loss of his covert. “I'd… Recommend our alor but I don't. Know where she is anymore. If she's still…”

When Din looked up again, Fett had stopped scrubbing. He looked unsure, mostly, unsure and conflicted. 

“I'm…” Fett started, so much more awkward than Din ever thought he could be, especially after watching him absolutely destroy too many stormtroopers. “Were you two close..?”

Din contemplated that question for a quick second.

“You don't have to answer that,” Fett tacked on, the simple elegance of his previous words disappearing. Perhaps Din’s perspective on the Mandalorian had been skewed, perhaps he wasn't as untouchable as Din assumed. Armor was a powerful negotiator, and perhaps others viewed Din in the way he had with Fett. 

Din exited his musings, figuring it wasn't quite fair of him to expect more than the simple man Fett introduced himself as. “No, it's fine,” Din replied. “She was… Very skilled. We were friends as children, but as the purge took many, including the previous Armorer, she rose to take their place. Not without struggle, of course, it was a… Hard time for all of us, but she was strong throughout. Growing up, I never expected to be gaining sage advice from her but…” Din let out a bittersweet laugh, only realizing Fett had returned to his work as he trailed off. 

“Is she in your remembrances yet?” Fett asked tentatively. 

Din shook his head. “I think she's still alive, I just don't know where I’d start looking.”

“Well maybe after we get your foundling back...” Fett started, holding up his back guard and inspecting it for stray chips of paint. “I don't have anything planned.”

Din blinked. Was Fett seriously offering to do more for him?

“You've already fulfilled your side of our deal about five times over, Fett. You don't have to do anything else for me.”

Fett didn't reply for a good time, too concentrated on painting the first strokes of forest green onto one of his chestplate pieces. His hand was almost too steady, he looked like he was trying almost too hard to make the strokes perfect. 

“Well uh, v-” Boba frowned slightly, cutting himself off. “Beroya, I think we're a bit past deals now, well. I mean, unless you  _ want  _ to keep these things strictly professional,”

Din sat up, his confusion temporarily displacing his sadness. “Are you trying to ask me if we're friends?”

“Considering you seemingly can’t accept the fact that I just want to help you, as a friend, yes. I am asking if we are friends.” 

Din found himself laughing at that, and quietly Fett started chuckling as well. 

“That is… That’s fair,” Din conceded. “Burc'ya vaal burk'yc, burc'ya veman.”

“And I’ll be that friend,” Fett replied with a soft smile, “don’t worry.”

The two returned to the comfortable silence, Fett continuing to paint. There was something, some sort of question on the tip of Din’s tongue, something he couldn’t quite articulate. He knew… Next to nothing about Fett, and yet he felt like he could trust him. Maybe that wasn’t so strange, they were both Mandalorians, both bounty hunters, both cared about getting Grogu back, against all odds. 

And Fett did care, clearly. Surprisingly. Though as time passed and Din became even just a bit familiar with the man, it made sense, somehow. He hadn't said anything about it, he didn't say much at all, but there was some deep rooted sense of loss that appeared in his eyes and in his posture when he happened to stumble upon Din in one of his worse moods. It wasn't pitty, just quiet understanding as the two shared the same space. Fett never said much during those moments, Din silently wondered if he even knew what to say. Din surely wouldn't, if their roles were to be reversed. 

When Fett finished painting, Din helped him move the plates so that they could dry somewhere less obstructive than the floor. It felt strange handling the beskar now that he knew its owner. But Fett was right beside him, giving him an appreciative smile for the help. 

Before Din knew Fett, his armor served as a painful reminder of how the galaxy treated Mandalorians, treated their second skins. Din had mourned him before he even knew him, as a lost vod whose soul had been abused after death. 

“I don't think I thought this through.”

Din was dragged out of his musings by Fett’s murmured comment. He inclined his head in question.

“I can't wear any of it again, but this time it's all  _ my _ fault.”

Din smiled slightly. “Well I'll make sure not to look over ‘til you're decent.”

Fett let out a surprisingly loud laugh, punching Din’s arm playfully as he made his way back to clean up the paints. “I’m glad someone around here knows how to be respectful.”

Din followed, he didn't have much else to do, but as Fett started closing cans of paint and washed brushes out, he realized Fett had never used any of the sky blue paint he'd gotten. 

“What are you going to do with this?” Din asked, holding up the small can. 

Fett spun around to face Din with a questioning hum. “That? I bought that for you, if you want it. Noticed your demi-gaunts have the color, and if you ever wanted to paint any of that shiny stuff…” He shrugged. “I don't know, I thought it would be nice to have something in stock that’s more your style.”

Din looked down at the can. Blue, reliability. He didn't feel very reliable now, not with his failings with Grogu, but maybe someday, when the foundling was returned to him, he’d paint his armor.

**Author's Note:**

> Mando'a translations:  
> beroya- bounty hunter  
> kar'ta beskar- "iron heart," the diamond shape in the middle of most Mando chestplates  
> shereshoy- lust for life and much more - uniquely Mandalorian word, meaning the enjoyment of each day and the determination to seek and grab every possible experience, as well as surviving to see the next day - hanging onto life and relishing it.  
> beskar'gam- armor  
> buy'ce- helmet  
> alor- leader  
> Burc'ya vaal burk'yc, burc'ya veman.- A friend during danger is a true friend. A Mandalorian saying  
> vod- sibling, comrade


End file.
